Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-09-04
THE PLANETS.
A yIkw or TIE HEAVENS FOR SEP
TEuBER.
vsnusapd Fer Intense Brilliancy Jupiter
the Evening Gem-Msrcury, Saturn,
the Moon, Sun, and the Best
fprnrIdance Journal

PROVIDENCE oVuthh|l
Vrxrs ia evening star until the 2lst,
and then morning star. The most in
teresting event on the planetary record
for September occurs OF the 2lst. Mt III
o'clock in the morning. Venus then
arrives ut inferior conjunction, and,
passing between the earth and the sun,
completes her course as evening star
changing her position from the eastern
side of the sun to the western, aud COM
mencing her course as morning star.
She will be hidden from view for
longer time before inferior conjunction
than she is in some portions OF her
course, on account of her southern de-
clinstion and her distance south OF the
sun. The period Of her inyisibility,
however. will be short. Observers
will only for about three weeks
cease paving a tribute OF admiration
TO the dueenly star, as, close to the sun,
She sinks below the western horizon,
shortly after his departure, before she
will call forth renewed tribute OF adj
miration as the suns bright harbinger
in the glowing east. Hesperus was the
name given by the ancients to this beau
tiful planet when evening star and
Phosphorus when morning star. In
the earliest ages of astronomy Hes
perus and Phosphorus were supposed
TO be different stars. Astheirmovements
were more closely studied 1t was found
that the two stars were never seen to-
pether. one of them being hidden IN the
suns rays for a short time before
the other emerged from them, and thus
their identity was established. 1t is
tantaliZing that we are able to find ont
so little concerning our lovely celestial
neiehbor. so nearly resembling our
own globe in many respects. Her in
tense brilliancy defes telescope OBJ
servation. We know that she presents
phases like the moon, and that she has
an atmosphere. Some astronomers
have seen, or think they have seen,
bright spots on her disc, measured
mountains on her surface, computed
time of her rotation, and made other OBJ
servations. These are, however, not yet
"proyen, " and the fact still remains that
we know very little of our twin sister
among the planets. We are none the
less grateful for the surprising lowell
ness of her appearance III the morning
and evening sky, and rejoice, if there
are intelligent and animate beings on
her surface, that our planet, attended
10y tiny moon, shines respondent in
the star-lit canopy arching above her,
not only in the morning and evening
sky, but through the entire night.
The earth in opposition must be a
charming spectacle to the astronomers
of Venus.
The right ascension of Venus on the
1st is l2h. I'm. her declination is s.
so south her diameter Is 80. g, and
she is III the constellation Virgo.
Venus sets on the lst about quarter
before 7 o'clock in the evening; on the
Seth she rises at twenty minutes before
8 o'clock in the morning.
JUPITER IS EVENING STAR.
Although during August he was
beautiful to behold, he was surpassed
in brilliancy by his rival, the fairest of
the stars. AS she will set soon after
the sun in the early part of the month
and speedily be lost to sight, he will
then reign as lord of the ascendant
His career will be short, for he is APP
preaching the sun and conjunction.
AT the beginning of the month he sets
two hours later than the sun. At its
close he is only a little more than an
hour behind him. Spica remains his
bright companion. On the LIST Jupiter
is IL east Of the star, on the Both he
is Ice east of the star, Spica then being
too near the sun TO be visible.
Jupiter. on the 18th will pass between
the two fOurth-magnitude stars, Kappa
and Lambda Virgins, being 80 north
of lambda. This is the third time in
the present year that the planets path
has laid between the same stars. The
first passage was made on the 18th of
January, when the planet was in direct
or eastward motion the second oc-
CURED near the close OF March
when the planet was retrogarding,
or moving westward. TIE third
passage takes place on the 10th,
when he is in direct motion.
Observers who watch these movements
of the planets will gain an idea OF their
cratic course. It's, however, only APP
parently errstic, for all the planets
from Mercury to Neptune circle around
the sun in illiptical orbits, the sweep in
creasing with the distance and the We
locity conformable to laws which are
calculated with mathematical precision.
1t is because the earth is moving, and
we observe our planetary brothers from
moving observatory, that they Seem
TO wander in such q needless way.
The right ascension Of Jupiter on the
1st is 14h. 3m., his declination is lO'
"a south, his diameter is 3l".G, and
he is in the constellation Virgo.
Jupiter sets on the LIST few minutes
before half-past o'clock in the eve
ming; on the Both he sets at Il quarter
before 7 O'Clock,
MERCURY IS MORNING STAR
until the 10th, and then evening star.
On the 10th, at l o'clock i'll the after
noon. he is in superior conjunction
with the sun, passing from his western
TO his eastern side and becoming eve
ming star. Five days after this event,
on the 18th, moving eastward from the
sun he meets and passes Venus moving
westward towards the sun. The two
planets are in conjunction at 8
o'clock in the evening-that is,
they are in the same right ascen-
sion. They are, however, far apart In
declination, Mercury being 10' A.
north. Both planets are below the
horizon at the time Of conjunction and
the meeting between the slender cres-
cent of Venus, and Mercury in his
gibbous phase, must be seen in the
minds eye. On the oath, at o'clock
in the afternoon, Mercury makes q
close conjunction with Uranus, being
only 90 south. On the both, at s
o'clock in the morning, this busy-body
of the suns family makes his fourth
conjunction. He pays his respects to
Spica, being l. ~ north of the bright
star.
The right ascension of Mercury on
the LIST is 10h. 19m., his declination is
12o 90 north, his diameter is 30 and
he is in the constellation Leo.
Mercury rises on the 1st about half
past o'clock in the morning; on the
Beth he sets few minutes before 6